MyCardBlog

I have a review on the ShopDiscover Program developed by Discover Card. Frankly speaking, the cash back offered by the ShopDiscover Program is much higher than other cash back shopping websites. However, the obvious disadvantage of the ShopDiscover Program is the online merchants are not too many compared to other cash back websites. Today I realized that the ShopDiscover Program actually just added more stores for the coming shopping season. It’s a great time to use ShopDiscover to save money for the shopping season.

The ShopDiscover Program is a rewards program which will give you extra rewards in addition to the cash back or other rewards you can accumulate for online shopping through ShopDiscover. This is a similar program like Chase Rewards Plus, Bank of America Rewards Shopping Mall, and Citi Bonus Cash Center. You can earn extra cash back for shopping online through above mentioned websites.

The advantage of ShopDiscover Program is high cash back rate compared to other websites. For example, Sony offers 5% cash back at ShopDiscover but you can only get 4% cash back at ebates.com and 3% cash back from Chase Rewards Plus. You can get 5% cash back from Best Buy through ShopDiscover but you can only get 1% from ebates.com and 3% from Chase Rewards Plus. The difference is huge if you are shopping for a laptop, desktop or other electronics.

The disadvantage of the ShopDiscover Program is you have no way to track your click history thus you will miss your cash back for shopping through ShopDiscover. ebates.com and fatwallet.com will offer click history in your account thus you can know exactly when you placed the order. If the merchant missed your order, you can complain by providing the click history and your order confirmation. In this way, your cash back will never miss. But in ShopDiscover, you don’t have access to your click history and order confirmation email alone is not so useful sometimes. I personally missed a cash back reward from ShopDiscover which should give me $12.00 for purchasing an iPod touch at apple store (5% cash back is highest among other cash back websites.).

Some added online stores are:

Banana Republic 10%

Best Buy 5%

Dell 5%

EastBay 10%

Enterprise 10%

GAP 10%

Guess 10%

hotels.com 5%

Lenovo 5%

Old Navy 10%

Onlineshoes.com 15%

Ralphlauren.com 5%

Sony 5%

North Face 5%

I should also mention that you can get 5% cash back from Wlamart.com through ShopDiscover. This is the highest rate that I have ever seen.

In order to qualify to get the cash back, you have to shop through ShopDiscover (click the link at ShopDiscover) and place the order using a Discover Card (Any Discover Card will qualify.). The most popular Discover Card is the Discover More Card which offers 5% cash back on selected categories which change every quarter. Since Chase Freedom Card changed its new cash back rate, the Discover More Card is much better than the Chase Freedom Card. Another popular Discover Card is the Discover Open Road Card which offers 5% cash back on gasoline purchases.

Of course, there are other rewards sites for your reference:

ebates.com, fatwallet.com, cashrewardsplus.com, live.com/cashback, jellyfish.com, and mrrebates.com.

I just reviewed the new Chase Freedom Card which is somewhat like Discover More Card now. Compared to the new Chase Freedom Card, the Discover More Card is highly recommended for everyday purchases. Chase Freedom Card only offers 3% cash back for selected categories which change every quarter. However, Discover More Card offers 5% cash back for selected categories which change every quarter too. Chase Freedom Card offers 5,000 bonus points for new customers through www.chasefreedomnow.com. Discover More Card offers $100 sign up bonus for spending $500 or more.

Following is the invitation flyer I received:

To apply, go to apply.discovercard.com and put in the code: DBFT.

According to what I know, Discover Card is loosing their application process which means many of you can apply for a Discover Card even your credit score is not very high.

It is no doubt that you can use your credit card for an international trip. But some of you may not know that many credit card issuers will charge a certain amount of transaction fees for using your credit card aboard. The fees may be up to 8% depending on the credit card terms. So before you leave, you’d better read your credit card agreement from your credit card issuer carefully and find out the one with lowest transaction fees.

Hereby I did a little research and summarized the transaction fees from many US credit card issuers to help you choose out the best credit card for an international trip. Another thing you should be aware is your credit card account might be frozen by your credit card issuer sometimes due to fraud prevention.

Foreign transaction fees are charges added to the cost of purchases made in a foreign currency. The card issuers said the cost covers the service of translating the price of the purchase into U.S. dollars, which is the amount reflected on a billing statement. The foreign transaction fees are varied for different credit card issuers and different types of credit cards.

Whenever you make a purchase at foreign countries with a Visa or MasterCard, you will be automatically charged by Visa or MasterCard Networks. Card issuers will also add some fees for foreign transactions. For example, Chase Sony Card will charge you 3% transaction fee for an purchase made outside US. This 3% includes the above mentioned 1% fee charge by Visa Network. But there is an exception which makes it a very good credit card for using internationally. All Capital One credit cards will get 1% refund for any transactions made using a foreign currency or outside US. The HSBC Household/Orchard Bank credit card with 2% cash back used to not charge additional 2% fees. So with 2% cash back and 1% transaction fee, you can still get 1% cash back for using that credit card aboard. All American Express cards will be charged 2% transaction fee. Discover Card will not charge foreign transaction fees for your purchases made using foreign currency or outside US. So all Discover Cards are good choice for using aboard. The only downside for using Discover Card is they don’t have too many networks outside US. You can only us Discover card at limited countries. While Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted in the word.

Some picks of credit cards for international use:

Capital One No Hassle Cash Rewards Card (Or Capital One No Hassle Miles Rewards Card): There is no annual fee associated with this card. There is also no foreign transaction fee for using aboard. You can accumulate cash rewards for using this card everywhere in the world. You can choose either the cash version or mile version.

Discover More Card: There is no foreign transaction fee for using aboard. You can also get rewards for shopping everywhere in the world. No annual fee. If you are a student, you should choose the Discover Student Card which is specifically designed for students. You may also consider the Discover Miles Card for accumulating miles. But you should expect the situation that you can’t use your Discover Card on an international trip.

American Express is running a new promotion to selected card members which will offer 1 bonus membership rewards point for every dollar spent during this fall shopping season. This offer is targeted to my Blue from American Express Card. Enrollment is required to get the bonus points credited to your account.

This promotion offer was mailed to me via USPS. The content is like this:

Now is your chance to get closer to get more of the exceptional experiences offered by the Membership Rewards program. As a selected cardmember, you have the opportunity to earn double points on virtually every dollar you spend over $500 each month from October 1, 2008 through December 313, 2008 (up to maximum allowed).

So whether you’re starting your holiday shopping or entertaining friends, be sure to use your Card for everything this fall. Enjoy a weekend getaway or a night on the town. And when you’re out buying gifts for everyone on your list, don’t forget to pick up something for yourself. It can all add up to double points.

P.S. Enroll today by visiting us at americanexpress.com/bonuspoints883

or call us at 1-800-794-1308 and use the promotion code 126480025.

So here is how it works:

1. Enroll your American Express Card by November 15, 2008. Visit americanexpress.com/bonuspoints883 and enter your RSVP code. Or call 1-800-794-1308 and mention the promotion code 126480025.

2. Earn double points. You can earn one additional point for every dollar you spend over $500 each month from October through December. (monthly limit is 5000 points)

This offer is not so attractive to me since I have other better credit cards which can give me much better rewards. But for those only have one or two American Express credit cards, this is a good chance to get yourself awarded during this coming shopping season. $500 per month is not so difficult to reach.

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Discover Card is also running a promotion. The Discover Open Road Card is offering 2% cash back for shopping at grocery stores this November and December.

Following is a message shows up in my online account:

Earn 2% Cashback Bonus on purchases made at grocery stores from 11/1/08 (or the date on which you signed up, whichever is later) through 12/31/08, subject to a cap of $1,000 in purchases. These purchases must post to your account by 12/31/08. Grocery store purchases are those made at merchants we classify as stand-alone grocery stores or supermarkets. Grocery or food purchases made at convenience stores, gas stations, warehouse clubs, supercenters and discount stores are not eligible.

This sign up process is very simple. All you have to do is to click the sign up bar in your account. The Discover Open Road Card is a gas card which offers 5% cash back at pumps. It is rated as one of the best gas rewards credit cards.

Each credit card issuer will run some customer appreciation promotion some times per year. Perhaps the most popular ones are the American Express’ My WishList Promotion and Discover’s Mall Promotion. The latest Discover Card mall promotion was ended on September 7, 2008 (reported here). Today I noticed that Discover Card has released the detailed promotion plan for the next mall promotion starting from November 1, 2008.

The promotion rules are really simple (How to turn receipts into rewards?):

Get a $20 Discover Gift Card when you make $200 in purchases with your Discover Card at a participating mall between 11/1/08-1/4/09, while supplies last. To redeem the $20 gift card, the original receipts must be presented to a participating mall’s Customer Service.

Two noticeable differences from previous promotions are:

1. This promotion has expanded to over 160 malls nationwide.

2. The promotion period has been extended—over 2 months now!

The promotion page can be found at:http://www.discovercard.com/mallpromo/index.html

Following is a non-complete list of participating malls.

The Discover More Card is a really cool credit card with many exceptional features. However, the most disappointing thing about this Discover More Card is it rarely offers sign-up bonus. Today when I received my new issue of SmartMoney magazine, there is a sign-up bonus code from Discover More Card which is offering $100 bonus after you make first $500 in purchases. I think this would be a great opportunity for those who want to apply for the Discover More Card.

To get the $100 bonus, you have to apply for a new Discover Card through apply.Discovercard.com and put the code: DBBA. Or you can call Discover Card at 800-206-4960 and mention the code to get this offer. This offer expires on December 2, 2008.

Besides the $100 bonus, there are other great benefits from the Discover More Card.

1. Get 0% APR on balance transfer until October 2009.

2. Get 5% cash back on regular categories which are change every quarter like travel, groceries, restaurants and more.

3. If you visit China, the Discover Card is accepted anywhere that accepts the China UnionPay credit card which is the largest credit card network in China. Currently, the Discover Card is the most widely accepted American credit card in China.

However, the cash back calculation method for the Discover card is kind of complicated.

You can earn a full 5% cashback bonus on category purchases throughout the year by signing up for each program. In addition, earn full 1% unlimited cashback bonus on all other purchases after your total annual purchases exceed $3,000; other purchases that are part of your first $1,500 earn 0.25% and other purchases that are part of your second $1,500 earn 0.5%. Warehouse purchases earn 0.25%. (Sam’s Club for example)

You only need $20 cashback bonus to start to redeem your cash back rewards. The other reason that I like the Discover Card a lot is the excellent ShopDiscover Program. The cash back rates at ShopDisover are unbeatable. You can get 5% cash back from BestBuy, Apple Store, Dell Home etc. It’s a good choice to make online purchases at ShopDiscover. You can earn extra cash back.

J.D. Power and Associates just released the 2008 Credit Card Satisfaction Study yesterday. According to this study, American Express ranks highest in overall customer satisfaction with credit card issuers for a second consecutive year! Yes, American Express should pride itself on its outstanding customer service.I would also vote for American Express.

The Credit Card Satisfaction Study measures customer satisfaction with credit card by examining five key factors according to J.D. Power and Associates: interaction; billing and payment process; fees and rates; reward programs; and benefits and services. I would say this study really encompasses every factor of a good credit cards. The study is based on a 1000 point scale and relies on more than 7,600 customers’ responses. American Express scored 783 points and ranked highest. Discover Card followed American Express with a score of 751.

Ironically, although the industry average score is 721, only American Express and Discover can score higher than that. HSBC scored the lowest score—667. Capital One also performed not well with only 10 points higher than that of HSBC.

As indicated by the study, American Express performed well in every category. American Express got the highest score out of any of the other credit card companies in all of the five categories. Discover Card performed well in only 3 of the 5 categories: interaction, billing and payment processes, and reward program sections. In the press release of this 2008 Credit Card Satisfaction Study, Rocky Clancy, executive director of financial services at J.D. Power and Associates, pointed out that “American Express and Discover Card are very different in their fees, reward programs and incentives, and their strong performances indicate their ability to suit the various needs that dissimilar types of cardholders have.”

The study also revealed that people who pay off their balances every month tend to choose their credit cards based on rewards programs (77%). People who carry balances on their credit cards pay more attention on interest rates and fees when choosing their credit cards (65%).

This study also found that 72% of cardholders use some kind of reward program. And the most interesting part is free hotel stays are the most satisfying type of reward! I think the Starwood Preferred Guest Card from American Express and the Hilton HHonors Platinum Credit Card from American Express will be very popular in the near future.

Another find of this study is 25% of all cardholders don’t know if their card offers them additional benefits and 33% haven’t used any during the past year. (If you are reading this post, you should look at your credit card benefits now.) I hope this will change in the future as mycardblog.com becomes more and more popular among general American readers.

The pdf version of the press release of 2008 Credit Card Satisfaction can be viewed here.

My question is which credit card company can surpass American Express the next year.

Discover Card is running a promotion for Discover Card members. The promotion is quite simple: For every $100 you spend on your Discover Card at selected participating malls, you can get a $10 Discover gift card. The promotion period is from August 1 to September 7, 2008.

To get the Discover gift card, you have to present your original receipts and your Discover card at participating mall’s customer service. There are 5 gift cards limit for every Discover Card account during the promotion period.

Detailed information can be found at Discover card website or you can click here to see the promotion page. Here’s how it works:

• Find a mall near you from the list of participating malls below
• Shop in the mall and use your Discover Card
• Collect your Discover Card receipts from any store at any participating mall from August 1 through September 7, 2008
• Bring your Discover Card receipts to customer service and redeem for your $10 Discover Gift Card

Following is a list of participating malls:

Alabama
Riverchase Galleria, Birmingham
Arizona
Arizona Mills, Tempe
Tucson Mall, Tucson
California
Del Amo Fashion Center, Torrence
Ontario Mills Mall, Ontario
Stoneridge Mall, Pleasanton
Colorado
Chapel Hills Mall, Colorado Springs
Colorado Mills, Lakewood
Delaware
Christiana Mall, Newark
Florida
Regency Square Mall, Jacksonville
Sawgrass Mills, Sunrise
Georgia
Discover Mills Mall, Lawerenceville
Perimeter Mall, Atlanta
Iowa
Coral Ridge Mall, Coralville
Jordan Creek Town Center,
West Des Moines
Illinois
Gurnee Mills, Gurnee
Indiana
Glenbrook Square, Fort Wayne
Kentucky
Mall St. Matthews, Louisville
Louisiana
The Esplande, Kenner
Mall of Louisiana, Baton Rouge
Maryland
Arundel Mills, Hanover
The Mall in Columbia, Columbia
Towson Town Center, Towson
Michigan
Briarwood Mall, Ann Arbor
Lakeside Mall, Sterling Heights
Minnesota
Southdale Center, Edina
Missouri
St. Louis Galleria, St. Louis
St. Louis Mills, Hazelwood
North Carolina
Concord Mills, Concord
Four Seasons Town Centre, Greensboro
New Jersey
Woodbridge Center, Woodbridge
New Mexico
Coronado Center, Albuquerque
New York
Galleria at White Plains, White Plains
Staten Island Mall, Staten Island
Ohio
Cincinnati Mills, Cincinnati
Kenwood Towne Centre, Cincinnati
The Mall at Tuttle Crossing, Dublin
Pennsylvania
Franklin Mills, Philadelphia
Rhode Island
Providence Place, Providence
Tennessee
Opry Mills, Nashville
Texas
Baybrook Mall, Friendswood
Grapevine Mills, Grapevine
Katy Mills, Katy
Willowbrook Mall, Houston
Virginia
Potomac Mills, Prince William